Question
We live in SE Michigan.  Our front lawn is VERY shaded with many mature trees (mostly maple).  Next to the house the grass hardly grows.  We've fertilized & planted shade grass year after year- spring & fall.  Plus done some aerating with the simple hand-held aerator.   A little grows, but patchy & still looks like dirt.  The grass further in front lawn (closer to the road) gets a little more sun & grows fine.   Many friends just say because it's so shaded.  But it won't even grow grass in spring when the leaves are not all out yet to shade the lawn.    Could it be due to the tree/roots?  What can we do?   thanks

Answer
Tree roots close to the surface tends to make the soil very compact which is not good for grass.

You can try to loosen the soil to a dept of an inch or two and spread 4-6 lbs of grass seeds (fine fescues). Then ensure good soil/seed contact by tamping down with back of a rake. Water two-three times daily for a few minutes to ensure that the soil is damp/moist at all times. If the seeds dry out even slightly, they will die. Once the new grass is 2-3" tall, start mowing. The lawn will then only need water once or twice per week. Water below the canopy of the trees with a sprinkler even if rain has been falling. When you do water, water deeply (1 hour at a time).

Fertilize in spring and fall. Keep grass tall (2.5-3.5").

Good luck

FYI - it can be very challenging to grow grass under mature trees. Even shade tolorant grass likes full sun better than shade, so it is not impossible that it is simply too dark where you are trying to grow grass.